4 DAY WEEKENDS... ROCK!!!

Family Focus...

What a GREAT weekend! I could REALLY get used to 4 day weekends!

I'd like to first say a big THANKS to the many BIRTHDAY wishes this past Wednesday! That's right - I turned "38" this past week! Why is it that ALL I can think about - regarding it - is that I'm 2 years away from "40" - that's it... nothing else seems to come to mind!??!?!?!

My incredible wife - Ginger - took me on a DATE Wednesday PM - OUTBACK & 'THE BLIND SIDE' - INCREDIBLE Food & GREAT Flick! (instant 'Classic')

Thursday was filled with FUN in the Kitchen - as Ginger, Isaac, Caleb & I - made my Family 'Birthday' Meal! Homemade MASHED POTATOES (TY Ging) with Homemade MINUTE STEAK & CHICKEN (i.e. Country Fried Steak & Chicken / TY Josh) & not to forget Homemade GRAVY (TY Ging)! Needless to say - it ROCKED! And my AMAZING wife - also made me my favorite birthday cake - Homemade RED VELVET CAKE! NOTHING is better!

Friday - we headed up to have 'THANKSGIVING' Dinner with the Good's & Goodell's! My extended family (Aunts - Uncles - Cousins)! Great MEAL & way too many desserts!!

One word could define this weekend... STUFFED!!!!!!!

Sunday Snapshot...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS / Wk4 ~ The Adulterous Woman

Three things we'll see this weekend...

1. The HORROR of Sin!

2. The COMPASSION of Jesus!

3. The WISDOM of God!

As we witness the 'First Impression' of a lady who didn't PURSUE Jesus - she was PUSHED!

DROP YOUR ROCK TODAY!!

BRAINSTORMING...

"To reach people no one else is reaching - we have to do things that no one else is doing!" (C Groeschel)

I have made it to the 'TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN' (Flagstaff) and I'm PLANNING AWAY! Brainstorming and seeking some GOD MOMENTS as I 'LAY-OUT' the Vision of COC for 2010! Trying desperately to LISTEN to GOD's VOICE and diligently WATCHING to see where He is WORKING - so I can take the COURAGE to LEAD COC to go join Him! I'm pretty excited so far - and I'm anticipating some GREAT THINGS from God through COC in 2010! Here's a few little 'snipits' for the 3 people that read my blog... (can't give too much away)

1. FREAK-ENOMICS

2. LOCATION?

3. IDENTITY

4. DNA

5. GO FISH

6. "BACKSTAGE"

7. UNDEFILED

8. "SERVE" Sundays

And the LIST keeps growing...

TWO MORE DAYS OF VISION - Yes!!!

Family Focus...

PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE... Keep praying for GINGER! She has passed SIX Kidney Stones in a week! She is AMAZING and I'm a better man - because of her! She needs GOD's GRACE wrapped around her DAILY as she carries this BURDEN! Would you join me INTERCEDING (often) God's Throne Room for her?

Kiddos are awesome! Boys are READY for Christmas Break - MY whole family will be here this coming Christmas - going to be a GREAT TIME!

Someone PLEASE tell me...

Have you EVER seen ANYTHING more ADORABLE?

Sunday Snapshot...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Series

(Wk3) The Woman In The Crowd

Colossians 1:15 says 'No one can see God - but Jesus Christ is exactly like Him!'

The purpose of JESUS' life - here on earth - is to give us a "SNAPSHOT" into the Heart of God! Every ACT - MIRACLE - SACRIFICE that He demonstrated - gives us a VISUAL IMAGE of WHO GOD IS!

WHAT IF?

Jesus was really WHO He said He was?

Would it change your IMPRESSION of Him?

You don't want to miss this Sunday - as we take a look at a Woman who had enough courage to ask... WHAT IF?

MISSOURI in November...

I think the ONE THING I miss the most about the Midwest is the SEASONAL CHANGES! In Arizona - where you can GOLF EVERYDAY (which ROCKS) - you must sacrifice what most of America is allowed to experience... SEASONS! I mean... take for example - DECEMBER (Christmas) - outside of about a 40-50 degree temperature difference (which is GREAT mind you) - NOTHING LOOKS DIFFERENT OUTSIDE - it's still the DESERT!?

We touched down in Missouri this past Thursday Night and TREES where present - missing their wardrobe (leaves) of course - since it's FALL here! Another thing... GRASS is present (in AZ - about the ONLY place you'll find Grass is on a Golf Course)! It's nice to come back time to time - but I must say to my FRIENDS & FAMILY in AZ - I'M STOKED TO BE WITH YOU ALL - YOU ROCK!! (And the GOLF ROCKS too!)

Anyways... WE (Ging/Charis/Myself) are in MO to MARRY a couple of our College Students who were in our Ministry @ HSBC! Brandon (Ivy) & Rachel (Konnerup)... actually the ceremony was last night - and everything went well! What a COOL EXPERIENCE and AWESOME PRIVILEGE to officiate the Wedding and share in their lives! We are proud of them both - and are excited to see what God's gonna do with them as they continue to prepare for MISSIONARY work!

Of course... the other TWO (Barrett) Kiddos stayed back in the 'Copa with Nana & Papa! Isaac SOOOOOOOOO wanted to come to see his cousins (Colton & Gibson) - but AIRPLANE RIDES just aren't for FREE!? Caleb doesn't so much as mind though - at least what we can tell?! He's pretty preoccupied with other things - such as... PULLING FIRE ALARMS AT SCHOOL!?!??!? YEP... that's what he did last week! YEP... that's what he'll do if you lose track of him for 5 seconds!! It's AMAZING that boy has all of his body parts still in tact!!

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...

(Wk2) The Demon-Possessed Man (Mark 5:1-20)

Our GO Pastor (Mat Balgaard) is 'BRINGIN' THE HEAT' this weekend in my absence - and I'm gonna miss what's gonna ROCK - I'm sure!

My only hope is that his "VISUAL" (Prop) is not what he was hinting it might be - PREACHING NAKED with nothing but CHAINS!? Of ALL my staff - he's the one that just MIGHT DO IT!? (lol)

All kidding aside...

YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT A LIFE BEING CHANGED from PRE-Jesus to POST-Jesus?!?!?!

DON'T MISS IT TOMORROW!

I wonder what the Demon-Possessed Man's FIRST IMPRESSION of Jesus was?

12,000 easy...

What can I say - except the FACT that GOD IS AMAZING!

COC's Maricopa Trick-or-Treat 2009 CAME and WENT last Saturday - as so did about - um...

12,000+ PEOPLE

This event/MINISTRY was the largest SINGLE EVENT ever held in the City of Maricopa!

GOD SHOWED UP!!

What an AMAZING OPPORTUNITY for us to extend a HAND OF LOVE to our community!

We are so thankful to God for WORKING in this Ministry & giving us the courage to go JOIN HIM in it!

All in all - we had OVER 225+ COC SERVANT MINISTER'S who came out and SERVED our Community this NIGHT!

THANK YOU CHURCH OF CELEBRATION - you clearly "MADE HIS NAME MORE FAMOUS" last Saturday Night!

Family Focus...

Here's some PIX I promised - (btw) I'm married to the HOT PUNK-ROCKER!!!

Cindy Lauper & Little Red Riding Hood!

Slash & 'Lil Penny!

Sunday Snapshot...

New SERIES start this week-

(Wk1/Nov08) THE BLIND MAN

One of the GREATEST SAYINGS in ALL of Scripture...

(JB paraphrased - of course!)

"DUDES... I don't know a whole lot - but there's one thing I can say quite confidently - this morning - when I woke up - I couldn't SEE A THING! Now... after this Jesus guy came into my life - I CAN SEE EVERYTHING!"

"I once was blind - but now I see!"

John 8 - Jesus says He is the LIGHT of the World!

John 9 - He PROVES it!

DON'T MISS IT!!!!!!!